Hardcore Footy-Booters may remember last year we brought you a look into Aspero, a new boot company from Germany who were currently making waves in the Bundesliga.
Whilst we’ve been a bit quiet in terms of coverage since that original article, Aspero have been quietly developing new cleats and also getting on to the feet of some seriously big players!
At a testimonial match for Benjani Mwaruwari – formerly of Manchester City and Portsmouth – the Zimbabwe National team took on a team of top-flight players from Africa and beyond, dubbed the Benjani All Stars.
A glittering array of former Premier League players, including Chris Samba, Aaron Makoena, John Paintsil, Pascal Chimbonda, El-Hadji Diouf, Lucas Radebe, Kanu, Yakubu, Emmanuel Eboue and more provided plenty to get excited about in a sold-out stadium in Zimbabwe.
Chris Samba in his new Aspero Classics
And the football wasn’t bad, either – a scoreline of 7-4 to Zimbabwe (with Benjani playing – and scoring – for both teams) kept everyone’s eyes on the pitch.
But (as always) it was the footwear that caught our eye!
A host of the players on both sides had ditched their regular footwear for a pair of Aspero Classics in either Black or White.
Pascal Chimbonda – formerly of Spurs, Wigan and Sunderland in the eye-catching ‘Classics’
Even stars with long-running boot deals like Chris Samba and Aaron Makoena made the switch to the German brand for the occasion.
After a little investigation, we found out that Aspero were technical supplier to the event, generously supplying the All-Stars with kit and boots for the game.
Whilst the likes of Yakubu stuck with his trusty Nike’s, it certainly seems like a smart move on Aspero’s part – allowing them to gather elite player feedback on their football boots, whilst avoiding the costs of a long-term contract.
Would you like to get your feet into a pair of Aspero’s?
Let us know in the comments!